


A Bastard of a King and a False Gold Prince

by Theodore_Colin



Category: Original Work
Genre: Addiction, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Anxiety Attacks, Arranged Marriage, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Blood and Violence, Depression, Dragons, Drug Abuse, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Suicide Attempt, a complete mess, he's not great
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2020-06-30 07:20:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19848286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theodore_Colin/pseuds/Theodore_Colin
Summary: He was tired. Too young to be a king, too old not to take responsibility. His actions had consequences. Consequences he wasn't ready to face.He was tired.He knew the drink wasn't gonna help.But that doesn't mean he didn't try.





	1. Prologue

Kay had been dreading this day. 

He looked in the mirror.

He looked like hell.

The bags under his eyes were deep enough to be touching his eye sockets. His hair was a fucking rat’s nest. His glasses were so foggy and messed that he could barely see through them. He looked stoned if nothing else. Was he stoned? Probably not. 

Probably.

Given, his head was feeling a bit fuzzy.

That was probably nothing. He hadn’t slept properly in a month. Yeah. That was probably it.

He glared at the empty bottles by his bed. He’d meant to clean them. He truly had. 

He kicked them under his bed.

Aries was going to lose his shit. 

  
  


He hadn’t cleaned his room properly.

He was less than prepared to have his little cousin burst in, ignoring the protest of guards.

He looked under his arm at him.

“Hey, Ari! How are ya, ya dumbfuck?”

Aries looked around the room. Kay stayed still as Aries dropped to his knees by the bed.

He sighed, sounding more disappointed than anything.

“Ram?”

Kay jumped, “Yes?”

“How many bottles are there?” he reached under to grab one, glaring at the label, muttering, “Jesus, tequila??” under his breath.

“Not too many,” Kay danced around the question.

“How many, Ram?” Aries’ voice was stern.

“......five.”

“ _Five_??”

Kay avoided Aries’ glare. 

“ _Five_ bottles of tequila, Ram? Really??”

“Look, in my defence, it wasn’t all in one night-”

“Christ, I can smell it on you.”

“I wasn’t drinking! That’s from last night!” he pointed at the bottle in Aries’ hand.

Aries rubbed his temple, “Go draw a bath. Make it cold.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I’m sobering you right the hell now.”

“I’m fine, I just need to shower-”

The younger dragon pointed to the bathroom, “Do it now, Ram, or else I swear to the Gods, I’ll roar in your ear.”

Kay squinted, sizing him up, “You wouldn’t.”

“Try me, bitch,” he snarled.

  
  


Kay was clean-shaven and dressed properly. His glasses had been clean. He saw how pale he looked. He hadn’t left his room much the past month. He hadn’t had the energy. Knowing this day was coming. 

Aries pat his back roughly, “Chin up,” he said, “At least you two have separate rooms.”

Kay straightened and looked at his jacket. “They had to choose pale green? By the gods, I look ill in it.” 

“Hey,” Aries sounded concerned. 

“Yeah?” Kay didn’t look away from the mirror, still judging his outfit.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, of course I am.” Kay finally looked at him. His red eyes looked less than convinced. They glowed softly with worry. Kay sighed and hugged him tightly. “I’m okay,” he whispered as he ran his fingers through Aries’ hair. Aries gripped the back of his shirt. “I promise,” he rumbled low, “I’m okay.”

  
  


Kay stood stiff and cold. He saw _him_ approaching. Golden eyes look at Kay blankly. He had no expression as he looked at Kay. 

Kay had grown in the past three years. He was now the same height as Reyes. 

The Reyes prince was a young golden river serpent. His eyes were a dull and muted gold as they landed on Kay’s. He could tell the older dragon hated this as much as he did. 

He held out his hand for Kay. Kay took it hesitantly, shaking it firmly. 

“A pleasure, Keiht,” he said in a cold, emotionless tone.

“Likewise,” Kay kept his voice and tone as level and calm as he could. He hated that Reyes used his first name.

They turn and walk in step to the hall.


	2. Chapter 2

Good to see the brat hasn’t changed.

Riohn had met Keiht three years ago when this alliance was arranged. Riohn had been 19, Keiht had been 17. With neither of them being old enough to inherit, they had to wait. Now they were here and Riohn was less than excited.

Keiht had been just as cold as he had been three years ago. Not much had changed, really. He was just a bit taller and looked stockier. 

The ceremony hall was beautifully decorated in gold and green. Riohn thought it was nice, even if he dreaded the occasion. But couldn’t deny that it was lovely. The colours contrasted nicely. Riohn stood a moment, studying the hall. There were fewer tables than expected. Perhaps Keiht had less family than he’d previously thought.

Or perhaps they didn’t want to see Riohn.

He faced Keiht, “So when are we doing the deed?”

Keiht shuddered at his choice of words, “Don’t say it like  _ that _ .”

“Sorry. When’s this happening, then?”

“This night. At seven.”

“Lovely. Now,” he clapped his hands together and addressed the staff, “Who will be kind enough to show me to my quarters?”

  
  


It was a nice room. Had no unpleasant smells or little gremlins. As big as the castle was it was well cleaned, and it sort of surprised Riohn. His weyr was a mess of dragons, and there were only seven of them. Keiht’s weyr held nearly four hundred dragons. Fifty lived in the castle, wither as the staff or family. 

Riohn sighed and pulled out his phone. He was supposed to have called his advisor, Kex by now but didn’t really want to. He wasn’t the young prince Kex had found anymore, he was a king. Sort of. Kex said he’d technically be consort to Keiht. 

Which was absolute bullshit. Riohn was just as much of a king as Keiht was. Hell, he was older than Keiht. 

Then again he was barely an alpha dragon while Keiht radiated strength. In the short while Riohn was standing next to him he could  _ feel _ the fact that Keiht was an alpha. He’d been in rooms with other alphas before but had never felt the power that Keiht exuded. Keiht could probably kill him with a simple look.

So he supposed being consorted to him made sense in the long and short of it.

Riohn rubbed his face tiredly and groaned. 

Married.

He was getting married.

To a war dragon.

It was going to be the longest day, he could feel it.

  
  


He had Kex on speaker as he unpacked. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you, laddy, I’ve been troubled with trying to convince them to let all seven of us in.”

“It’s alright, Kex, I get it. They don’t want seven serpents in their weyr.”

“Yes, but with this alliance, it’s our weyr as much as their’s-oh one moment lad, I’m sorry-” he heard Kex pull away from the phone and some angry snarling in French. He sounded closer again, “Right, just Jean being a jackass, don’t worry.”

Riohn grunted in response. 

“Listen, it’s alright. He didn’t hurt anyone. Hurt himself more than anything. Goodness, you daft cunt, don’t try again!”

“What’s he trying?”

“Trying to eat a lit candle.”

“And he thinks it’ll work?”

“Who knows at this point. Anyways, I gotta go. Call me once it’s happened, yeah? We might be able to get in once that happens.”

“Of course. I’ll see you later.”

He hung up. 

He sighed and fell on to the bed. 

He had to get dressed. 


	3. Chapter 3

The outfit Kex had chosen worked well. It was a soft golden colour. There was a gold rose pin that matched his eyes well. He stared into the mirror quietly as he buttoned the coat. He didn’t understand why he cared so much of whether he looked good or not. He didn’t even want Keiht looking at him, let alone judging if he looked good.

The hours trudged on slowly. It was nearly time and Riohn sat by the arch, waiting. He counted in his head. 

_1, 2, 3, 4…_

Several dozen dragons had already taken one look at his golden scales and eyes and given him looks and made snide remarks behind hands that he heard perfectly fine. 

_“Wily serpent”_

_“Why is he even here”_

_“How kind of him to show his face”_

_“Isn’t he that son of the-”_

_“The exact same”_

He sighed and bent over, rubbing his temples sorely as he tried to calm down. There were far too many people in the room right now who would like nothing more than to take his head off his shoulders. That’s not a very satisfying place to be, in his opinion. 

_13, 14, 15, 16…_

“So, your name precedes you.”

Riohn looked up and his eyes widen. A man with black hair and dark skin stared down at him with glinting red eyes. He looked just like _him_.

Riohn laughs a bit awkward, “Aye, that it does.”

_“What is the prince doing”_

_“Doesn’t he know what could happen”_

_“Shouldn’t trust him”_

_20, 21, 22, 23…_

“Well, I’d like to know who hides behind that name. Care to tell me?”

The young man held out his hand to Riohn. He took it, smiling shyly, “Riohn. I’m Riohn Reyes.”

“Nice to meet you,” the man pulled him up to stand, “I’m Aries Exolothreftís Drákon. I’m Ram’s cousin.”

Riohn paused a beat, “Ram?”

“Oh, Keiht,” Aries laughed softly, “He hates being called by that. If you wanna keep your head, I’d advise against it.”

Riohn grinned, “I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.”

Aries turned and smiled grimly, “Hullo, mum.” he said softly.

Riohn turned his head and felt his stomach drop.

The woman leading two young dragons with her was more than familiar. He recalled her calling out on the day, her hair falling around her face, tears streaming down her cheeks. 

_44, 45, 46, 47…_

He sighed and bent to his knees to her, holding one of her hands in both of his as he bowed his head. 

“I am so, so very sorry for all my family’s caused you.”

He felt her fingers gently thread through his hair. He looked up to see her smiling sadly.

“None of it was your fault, dear,” she gestured him up and grabbed his shoulders, “You weren’t the one in the battle.”

Riohn grimaced. Her soft, sad blue eyes weren’t helping his guilt.

Keiht walked down the aisle, lead by a man who looked like he didn’t really recognise where he was. Keiht helped the older man to his seat and kissed his forehead, smiling for a minute in a way Riohn could only see as soft and sweet. 

Then Keiht straightened and his grim expression returned to his face. He looked around the room, almost trying to avoid looking at Riohn. His eyes finally land on him and Riohn could feel the sudden mood shift in him. He wasn’t close to Keiht but could feel the cold anger radiating off him.

_200, 201, 202, 203…_

Keiht stood across from him, looking more troubled by having to look at him than anything else. Riohn held out his hands cautiously and Keiht rested them to hover above, not touching. The priest spoke slowly. Ever so slowly. He went through the entire speech and it felt like hours until he finally asked for the vows. 

Riohn looked into the cold silver eyes that stare blankly at him, “I’m glad we could reach a better outcome than war. Thank you for accepting this union.”

Keiht paused before sighing, “I thank you for….” he grimaced, “For accepting our offer of alliance. I’m glad we avoided war.”

Riohn leaned down to connect their lips. Keiht pulled back a ways and growled, “You put your filthy fangs anywhere near my mouth and I’ll tear your throat out.” his hands tightened to fists above Riohn’s.

Riohn pulled back, feeling a lot more worried about this union than he had before. He vaguely wondered how much Keiht would’ve rather the genocide over this, and all the answers he could pull weren’t good. 

_1001, 1002, 1003, 1004…_

The priest gave them a look and shook his head. He closed his book. 

  
  


Kay interlocked Reyes’ arm with his and they walked back down the aisle. There were no cheers as he recalls there being with all the previous weddings he’d attended. There was some scattered clapping. Maybe one or two shouts. 

He didn’t care. 

He wanted to separate from Reyes as quickly as possible and get a drink.

Aries beat him to it.

He stood next to the bar, an eyebrow raised as Kay approached him.

“Oh come on…” he rumbled softly, “Just one.”

Aries scoffed, “Just one in your dictionary is seventeen.”

“Ariiiii…” he groaned, “I just got married to a poison jab, come on.” 

He looked imploringly at Aries, who stood firm. 

“None for you tonight. I don’t need to hang around you when you’ve had too much.”

“You’re a cruel man.” 

They stood in silence for a minute.

“You know he’s really not that bad.”

Kay glared at him. “Oh?”

“He actually seems really nice, you know?”

Kay scoffed and rolled his eyes. He picked up a glass and sniffed it hopefully. 

Water. 

He sighed and set the glass back down.

“Hey,” Aries put his hand on Kay’s wrist, “I’m serious. You’re stuck here. You might as well make the best of the situation.”

Kay’s eyes narrow, “This is a situation I’d rather not make the best of, I’d rather it never happen,” he took another glass and sniffed. Sparkling fruit juice. “I wish I’d never accepted the alliance. I wish my father never even offered it.”

“None of those have alcohol, you know.” 

Kay gave him a look, “Well you won’t let me touch the bar so I might as well search.”

“Give up. And go talk to Reyes. He’s really not bad. He doesn’t seem anything like his father.”

Kay didn’t look at Aries as he checked more drinks. “I honestly would rather scoop my eyes out with a rusted spoon and eat them.”

Aries blinked at the imagery, “I mean, that’s fair I suppose??” he sighed, “Well, I need to leave. Touch the bar and I’ll feed your eyes to you myself.”

“You’ll have to find them first.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who was wondering what they look like, here's a drawing I did of them  
> https://insomniatichoodie.tumblr.com/post/186626029470/did-some-designs-for-the-characters-in-the-story

Kay hopped onto the table and began slowly pacing, his tail flicks around behind him as he moves, “Now,” he addressed the court, “I’m told we’ve been having troubles with gryphons?”

He looked down at the Chinese ambassador. His eyes flick up and he speaks, “Yes, sire, we’ve had a bit of issue controlling them and they’ve been dive-bombing the streets.”

“Well, isn’t that just plain lovely,” Kay paced as he thought a moment, “Have you tried shooting them?”

“That’s against the law.”

“Of course it is. I don’t suppose I could just go up there and take them down myself?”

“Also banned.”

“Well shit,” Kay continued to pace, slowly clicking his heels to the table with each step. He noticed Reyes’ watching him with something close to disgust. “Have any ideas yourself, Goldielocks?”

Reyes raised an eyebrow at the name, “We have tamers, don’t we?”

“We do…” he looks at the Chinese ambassador, “Have we tried tamers?”

“We did,” the ambassador looked at them with bleak eyes, “Then the gryphons ate her.”

“Oh,” Kay shook his head at the imagery, “Well,” he bent down to take his drink from his spot and took a swig.

Reyes flipped through his papers, “You know I believe it’s fairly ill-advised to be drinking so early in the morning,” he stated blandly.

Kay flipped him off, “Fuck off, poison jab.”

“My aren’t we creative today.”

It had been a good month and a half since they’d gotten married. The entirety of it Kay had been drunk or high or both. He couldn’t get through the days with Reyes without feeling numb. Else he’d have to listen to his voice. And Kay wanted anything but that. 

Somehow Aries was willing to defend Reyes. He didn’t understand it.

Reyes stood himself and began to think, “Well, perhaps they’re migrating? They tend to hunt when that happens.”

“Nah, they migrated last year. They’re meant to settle down until the young are old enough to migrate again and it’s only been a year. They’re going to need at least ten more,” Kay looked at Reyes from across the table. 

Reyes shrugged and glared as he thought. His thick accent made it hard to decipher his words sometimes but Kay could push through it, it wasn’t that hard.

Reyes ran his hands through his hair and Kay caught some short words under his breath, “ _ Cinquante trois, cinquante quatre, cinquante cinq, cinquante six… _ ” he looked back up at the court, “Are they just hungry? Have they been fed? They might just be…” Reyes squints as he thinks. 

“Might just be trying to feed their young?” Kay offers.

Reyes nods as his eyes brighten, “ _ Oui,  _ yes, their young  _ pourrait ne pas être l'allaitement,  _ ahm, might not be nursing anymore. They might be hunting for the babies.”

Kay nods, looking down at the ambassador, “Perhaps give them some wild game to hunt? Cows, sheep?”

Ambassador nods. 

“Well, that’s put on hold until more information is given. Are there any other things that need to be brought to attention?”

“Yes.”

Kay looks at Reyes. He walks to his end and bends down to his level. 

“Oh? And what is it?” he asked.

Reyes growls softly but it peters out. That was odd. It was a very empty and weak growl. That shouldn’t happen with Reyes, a grown dragon. Maybe not full grown but grown. 

“Why are you standing on a table?”

Kay smirks and pushes the bottom of his bottle to Reyes’ forehead, “Well, Golden Boy, easier to look down on you.”

Reyes rumbles low and glares. 

Keiht winks and takes another swig of his drink as he straightens. “So. Any other issues?”

  
  


_ 104, 105, 106, 107… _

Riohn is getting tired of Keiht’s bullshit. 

He was hardly ever sober. Riohn could handle that. As long as Kay would fucking stop doing it during meetings. The meeting ends and he feels the glare Keiht gives him. 

Keiht’s hatred for Riohn was slowly seeping out to be blatant. He seemed ready to snap and attack at any moment. It wasn’t very frightening, as Keiht was tamer than most of the dragons that Riohn met. No matter how much Keiht snipped and snapped at him Riohn doesn’t flinch. Keiht might be dangerous but he’s not that dangerous.

_ Exolothreftí Drákon… _

That named sounded so familiar. 

He knew the meaning of it but couldn’t quite remember. It was Latin or Arabic or… something he couldn’t recall.

He shrugged it off and straightened his papers as he headed back to his room.


	5. Chapter 5

Kex held up a word card and nodded encouragingly. Riohn sighed and read it best he could, “A-aquintance-”

“A-qau-tance,” Kex spoke each syllable slowly and thoroughly, and Riohn glared at how childish it made him feel.

Riohn growled softly and crossed his arms, “ _This word is stupid,”_ he grumbled in French.

Kex sighed and gave him a look, “ _Now, come on, it’s not that-”_

“ _No fuck this, I don’t care about learning English anymore._ ”

Kex glared, “ _Riohn…_ ”

Riohn took out his hearing aids and crossed his arms. 

Kex looks at him. Riohn raises an eyebrow, challenging him. Kex sighed and started signing, _You can’t just get out of learning English, Riohn._

 _Yes, I can,_ Riohn signed back. 

Kex begins another string of sign but Riohn turned his head to ignore it. He was tired of all the languages. French, Spanish, English, they could all go and die as Latin did. He didn’t care anymore. It had been a long week. He’d gone through another meeting with a high king, listening to his rambling off about nonconsequential topics that had nothing to do with the tax fraud within the weyr. Forced through yet another tiring day after another reaching this one.

His birthday. 

He’d been loathing it. 

He’d always hated his birthday. Hated each day leading to it. 

He wanted the day to be over.

The only good thing to happen was Kex giving him a gift.

Kex’s smile had been genuine as he passed the small box to Riohn and Riohn was more than grateful to have been given the thin chain bracelet. The bracelet was bronze and shone in the light, glinting against Rio’s already shining scales. Riohn joked that Kex was trying to make sure he could be seen from the moon. Kex had laughed and hugged him tightly, kissing his head. Riohn concluded that made it a good morning.

He felt Kex press his hearing aids back in gently, saying, “ _-birthday celebration-_ ”

“ _What??_ ” Rio’s head spun to look at Kex with wide eyes.

Kex blinked, “ _You’ve always had birthday celebrations._ ”

“ _Aye, but I didn’t think it’d happen since this year wasn’t much to celebrate._ ”

Kex chuckled roughly, “ _Well, a king’s birthday is a thing to be celebrated no matter how you saw your year_.”

Riohn nodded along vaguely. Kex talked about how he would be expected to be properly dressed and ready to address the public “ _With a_ **_smile._ **” and Riohn nodded, repeating the gentle lecture back to him. Kex let him go after a minute to get dressed.

Being at a social gathering was the last thing Riohn wanted. Being a king he had to attend every major event that ever happens and it’s was plain exhausting. His meter for being social was being pushed and he didn’t know how much more he could handle. 

He had spoken to more nobles than he could count almost all of them hiding their sneers at the “ _Prey dragon alpha_ ” or the “ _Vile serpent masquerading as a king_ ”.

He was more than relieved and glad that the celebration was over. He was overjoyed to finally be free of it. 

He felt a gentle and hesitant tap on his shoulder. Turning, he could feel the cold emotion of Keiht coming off him before he could see him.

He hadn’t run into Keiht the entire night, no doubt Keiht had been avoiding him as well. Keiht’s eyes held a gentle silver glow tonight, something that he hadn’t seen since the wedding eight months ago.

He couldn’t smell anything on Keiht. Alcohol or drug. 

Rio’s eyebrows knit together, this was….odd. Too odd for his liking.

What was Keiht doing, talking to him sober?

  
  


Kay hated this idea. Hated having to talk to Reyes. Hated having to look at Reyes. Hated having to touch Reyes.

Reyes’ golden eyes narrow at him, clearly suspicious.

“Ahm, Aries,” he jabbed his thumb back, pointing to his little cousin standing not too far behind him, “He told me to do something-to give you something. You know, considering it is your birthday.”

Reyes’ suspicion seemed to lessen but he was still hesitant and Kay didn’t blame him. 

Kay clumsily held up the bag. He was shaking a bit and thought he was being stupid, getting flustered at giving a simple gift to Reyes. 

He stood for a moment, arm awkwardly outstretched before Reyes gently took the bag from him. He peeked curiously inside and looked confused.

“It’s a cake,” Kay shrugged, “I don’t know what you like. Don’t even know your favourite flavour, just picked chocolate,” Kay shifted nervously. “I hope it suffices.”

A dark, angry place inside him snarled, “ _It shouldn’t matter if it suffices. I hope he chokes on the damned thing._ ”

Reyes looked up at him, seeming a bit shocked to say the least. He smiled softly and nodded, “I like chocolate,” the gentle whisper was nearly lost on Kay’s ears by how small it was.

The definite rasp in Reyes’ voice never helped Kay in trying to understand him. Reyes was soft-spoken, never going above a calm speaking voice and carried a thick accent. 

This voice though was almost shy. Deliberately soft, as though Kay wasn’t meant to hear the tiny thought. 

When Kay finally met Reyes’ eyes again he was taken aback by how big his pupils had grown. He knew some dragons showed their emotions through their eyes, hell he showed his that way, but he hadn’t expected pupil dilation and contraction to be Reyes’ breed’s way of communicating. 

The pupil took up near all his iris and though Kay couldn’t be certain he was sure he glimpsed Reyes’ tail wag once.

“ _Merci,_ Thank you,” Reyes said, smiling gently.

Kay chuckled and smiled at him, “It’s nothing. I figured you wouldn’t want to even see me today but Aries threatened to castrate me if I didn’t play nice.”

The bubbly, gentle laugh that Kay was met with was the most unexpected thing to come of this interaction. Reyes was smiling. Genuinely smiling. Kay couldn’t think of whether he’d seen Reyes smile the entire time he’d been there.

A deep, dark part of him growled “ _Good. He shouldn’t be smiling. Especially after was_ **_he_ ** _did._ ” and Kay did his best to ignore it for now. Kay smiled and nodded, leaving Reyes to go back to his own chambers. All the while the voice griped and moaned about how Kay shouldn’t be caring that Reyes smiled and laughed with Kay. He shouldn’t be wondering how to make the older dragon smile even close to that again and shouldn’t even be _humouring_ the thought on how to hear the bubbly laugh again.

The more Kay replayed the gentle laugh in his head the more he became disgusted by it.

“ _A serpent’s laugh is never to be trusted,_ ” the voice hissed into his ear.

And he nodded.

“A serpent’s laugh is never to be trusted,” he whispered to himself.

He thought of the serpent laughing _that day._

On impulse, his hand flew to strike the wall. He shook the numbed pain away gently as he snarled, “ _A serpent’s laugh is never to be trusted.”_

  
  


Riohn couldn’t help but see the way Keiht had smiled before he’d left.

It had been the same, genuine and gentle smile that Keiht had given his father on their wedding day. Soft and reassuring. 

Riohn had never been smiled at like that before.

He felt it make his stomach and legs turn to jelly and he collapsed in front of his door, feeling his face heat from the quick, fluttery emotions that smile had sent to his stomach. 

He didn’t understand.

He hated Keiht.

And Keiht hated him.

He thought they’d had an understanding with that.

But Keiht had been sober.

Though that could’ve been because his cousin was there….

_1, 2, 3, 4…_

He decided that even if Keiht was just being polite, he’d still like to see that smile again.


	6. Chapter 6

Kay was listening as Reyes stumbled through his words and mumbling off in French. He’d been struggling the last few months, not seeming to be able to figure the correct wording to what he was trying to say. Kay listened to the quiet counting Reyes did as he thought. 

Kay glanced over to see Reyes closing his eyes, counting and fidgeting with his hands. He did that quite often, and to be honest, it confused Kay. He curiously watched the messy and shaky gestures. Kay realised that he recognised them. He watched carefully. The gestures were clear and obvious in what he was trying to say. He watched for a minute.

“You think that would work?” Kay asked.

Reyes’ head jerked up, golden eyes widening, “What?”

Fuck finding the right words to say what he was trying to was hell. Riohn’s hands move and fidget absentmindedly. 

_ 53, 54, 55, 56… _

He jumped when Keiht asked him a question, “What?”

“Do you think that would work?”

Riohn’s confusion only grows stronger. “What do you mean?”

“Your hands,” Keiht gestured, “You’re signing aren’t you?”

Riohn shared at his hands, halfway through a word, “Oh. Yeah, I am.” 

“So,” Keiht raised his eyebrows, “Do you think that would work?”

  
  


Kay feels Reyes tap his shoulder after the meeting. He didn’t have to turn around to know it was him, the tap was more soft and hesitant than an ambassadors would be, almost like he shouldn’t be doing that.

_ Because he shouldn’t, _ that dark voice in the back of his head snarled.

Kay shakes the voice away a moment. He doesn’t need it right now.

He turns to see Reyes’ eyes sparkling with curiosity and caught glimpses of his tail swinging from side to side. 

“How did you understand the signs?” he radiated happy energy that felt almost infectious.

Kay shakes it off but fails to hold back a smile. 

He clears his throat to regain composure, “My grandfather had trouble hearing, I learnt sign to speak to him.”

Reyes nods and turns to one side, revealing a small pale device in his ear, “This is the only ear I can hear from. The other one doesn’t work anymore.”

Curiosity sparked in Kay, “Were you born deaf?”

Reyes laughed and shook his head, “No, I’ve been deaf since I was ten.”

The answer sparked several more questions in Keiht’s head but he held back, “Interesting, what happened to have caused that?”

Reyes chuckled and shrugged, “Just kinda happened.”

Keiht nods and semi-turns to leave, watching for Reyes to ask something. He looked like he was hesitating a moment trying to think of something to say. 

“Thank you. For helping me. It means a lot.”

Reyes’ eyes were bright and hopeful, his voice so soft it was barely above a whisper. 

Keiht felt a small twinge of warmth growing in his chest and he laughs without thinking, “It’s no problem.”

He left as fast as he can to avoid anyone seeing the red rushing in his face. He turned in to a door without thinking. The room was empty, thank fuck.

Why was his heart beating? What was happening? Is it a stroke? No, dragons don’t have strokes.

He felt hot and red and his heartbeat out of his chest. He’d never felt this and didn’t know how to recognise it. It was strange and horrible and downright awful. He wanted it to stop. What the fuck had Reyes done to him?


End file.
